17 November 2017

Under-pressure West Brom manager Tony Pulis has admitted he would understand if he got the sack.

The Baggies have won just four of their last 25 games, stretching back to last season, and face Premier League champions Chelsea at The Hawthorns on Saturday.

They are winless in their last 10 outings, having claimed victories in their first three matches of the campaign, and sit a point above the relegation zone with Chinese owner Guochuan Lai flying over to watch this weekend.

Pulis has been in charge since January 2015 but conceded if the axe came it would not be unfair.

He said: "No, not at all. If the club decide what they decide, I've got great respect for the football club, the supporters, the chairman, the board - it's just life. It's the way it is. If you don't get results, you're under pressure.

"I understand, the more you give, the more people want. We brought in a lot of good players, players we hoped would gel straight away, and we've been unfortunate.

"(Nacer) Chadli, (James) Morrison and (Oliver) Burke are all players who can create and score and we've not had them. Like every team, if you don't have your best players, especially at the top end of the pitch, you're going to struggle.

"People say the football's been boring but the last two games at The Hawthorns have seen nine goals scored. People tell me we're this, that and the other. Look at the league - there are four or five teams who have scored fewer goals than us.

"And one of those teams is my home-town club Bournemouth and everyone tells me what great football Bournemouth play and Eddie (Howe) has done a fantastic job down there."

Pulis is without midfield duo Chadli and Morrison, the former having picked up a hip injury after international duty and the latter having undergone Achilles surgery.

He added: "James won't play for the foreseeable future. We're very, very disappointing Chadli has come back - after playing two games for Belgium - and has ended up getting an injury (on Thursday) in training."